St. Dominic de Guzman

Born: c.1170

Died: August 6, 1221

Canonized: 1234

Feast Day: August 8

Patron Saint of: astronomers

Saint Dominic was born into nobility in Calarvega, Spain. During his
lifetime, he was a champion for the Church against the Albigensians - a fight
which was aided by the Blessed Mother. The Albigensian Heresy taught that there
are two Gods, marriage is a sin, and denied the Trinity, incarnation and
redemption.

At the age of 26, Dominic became a cathedral canon to a bishop whose mission
was to convert Albigensians back to the orthodox teachings of the Church. At
that time, most heresies and other false teachings were handled with by force by
the likes of Simon de Montfort, whose armies leveled entire cities and
slaughtered many of the cities' inhabitants in the south of France. Dominic,
however, believed that the most effective way to counteract these errors was by
reason.

Saint Dominic founded the Order of Preachers, which is known today as the
Dominicans.